Chisum showcases John Wayne in the twilight of his remarkable 200-film career as John Chisum, a real-life cattle king determined to protect his empire against land-grabbing developer Lawrence J. Murphy (Forrest Tucker). Wayne's no-nonsense persona snugly fits this lively 1970 reworking of the true story of Pat Garrett, William Bonney (Billy the Kid), and the Lincoln County War that lit up the New Mexico Territory in 1878. Ben Johnson nearly steals the movie as Chisum's right-hand man Pepper, and Christopher George, Richard Jaeckel, and Bruce Cabot are especially convincing as Murphy's murderous henchmen.